Fancy Camp Food #5

So here's what happened...I actually made a REAL camp breakfast...and didn't take pictures.  I meant to, but everything just happened so fast and I chose to avoid burning eggs rather than getting the picture.  Here is the "prep" set up as proof!

As always we made awesome coffee in our camping french press.  It really does come out the best coffee we ever make.  And while waiting for the water to boil, the eggs to cook, and any other waiting "opportunity" we munched on donut holes.  It's not camping without them.

So breakfast itself was simply breakfast burritos with goat cheese and basil (left over from last night's caprese bites!)  I scrambled the eggs and just before they were done, scooped some soft goat cheese in and sprinkled with sliced basil.  Wrap that baby in a tortilla, and eat!

Just after breakfast we headed down to the lake so the kids could fish, play in the water, ride in the kayak, and bask in the sun!  It was a great way to spend the morning.  The dogs loved it too!

Lunch was virtually the same plan as all camping trips this summer (see posts here and here) and was comprised of picky-pick items.  Hubby isn't a fan of bread in general (I know, I only WISH I had that same problem) and definitely isn't interested in eating it while camping as it always dries out.  So bite sized food with crackers makes him very happy.  And for me, it makes for easy clean up and doesn't take much "work" before you get to dig in.

Ingredients

• Heirloom baby tomatoes (from last nights caprese bites)
• String cheese
• Sliced avocado
• Edemame
• Crackers
• Deli turkey slices for him
• And admittedly some cookies....

After a thrilling game of Apples to Apples and a half game of Yahtzee, it was time to start prepping for dinner.  In order to do this, we needed wine.  We splurged and brought a nice bottle of wine as a treat.  And then were super classy drinking it in the yellow plastic cups.  

 Dinner tonight was another "do-again" from an earlier camp trip with an asian style bowl.  The variation which makes this different is that instead of rice, I used some of my pre-made quinoa to save time and effort.  And hubs skipped the bowl completely and made an actual plate of food.

Ingredients

• Quinoa
• Bell Peppers
•  Edemame
• Tofu
• Stir Fry sauce
• Salmon (for him!) 

 Directions

1. If you didn't prep ahead of time- you should make your quinoa, rice, couscous, or grain of choice now.  It will take the longest and it can sit and wait for the rest to catch up!
2. Drain tofu- I layer a plate, couple paper towels, tofu, more paper towels, another plate and then anything you can use as a weight.  This will squeeze the moisture from the tofu and get it ready for grilling while you prep the rest of the items (and maybe have a glass of wine!)
3. Marinate the salmon steak in sauce
4. Chop your bell peppers into bite sized pieces
5. De-shell your edemame
6. Cut tofu into medium-small, thin pieces.
7. Set your pan to medium heat (which I know is impossible to really regulate on a camp stove!)
8. Add a little butter or oil to the hot pan, and drop in your tofu.  Leave it alone for a three to five minutes and flip once it has started to get a golden color.
9. After another couple minutes, push tofu to the side and add the veggies to let them stir fry for just a few minutes.
10. Pour in enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.  
11. Stir to coat and let simmer for another three to five minutes
12. Meanwhile- add the salmon steak to your grill and cook on each side according to the size and your "wellness" preference.
13. Add some quinoa to your bowl, and top with stir fried tofu and veggies & salmon

Josh decided to have quinoa and veggies on the side!

This was such a GREAT day at the lake.  Wonderful friends, sunshine, and great food!  Next up- camping chocolate tacos!  This is the kind of dessert I can't resist!

Fancy Camp Food #4- Quinoa and more!

Camping was the cool thing to do this summer.  At least for us it was!  (And by cool, I am cleverly also making reference to the nights when I thought my feet would actually freeze off.)  We haven't spent this much time in the great outdoors for a few years.  And it was awesome.  Great times, great friends, great wine, and even great food.  Sometimes...I'll admit I took a couple "easy way out" opportunities.  Don't judge.  This trip WAS pretty great food, I'll even call it total a success.  I had items planned well, which certainly helps make camp food easy.

The first thing I did to prepare, was to cook up a large batch of quinoa.  It would serve as a base for many of the meals this trip.

I also pre sliced one each- red, yellow, and orange bell peppers.  This made for easy packing, easy snacking, and less prep time at camp

I finished my prep work and "shortcut" choices with edemame in a bag, heirloom bite sized tomatoes, tiny little mozzarella balls packed in water, a mix of oil and balsamic, and my favorite spinach arugula mix!  Packed it all up, and headed out after work.

When we arrived it was just starting to get a little dark.  We had enough time to quickly unload the truck and create this little appetizer to share with our friends.  How cute are these Camping Caprese Bites???  

And they couldn't be easier.  We made both tomato and peach caprese bites.  And the most work was cutting up the peaches!  Everything else was simple assembly.  Grab a toothpick, add two mozzarella balls, followed with a torn leaf of basil, and finally a tomato or a peach bite,  Drizzle with the oil/balsmic mixture, and voila!  Perfect to pass around camp while everyone was preparing the meals.  And easy enough for the kids to snack on as well.

By this time, it was starting to get dark.  Josh grilled up a steak, and I quickly made us some salads to finish the meal.  Throw all of the following into a bowl and toss with some oil & balsamic.  Done!

Ingredients

1. 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
2. Handful of spinach/arugula mix
3. 1/2 chopped peach
4. A sprinkle of dried cranberries
5. Top with small mozzarella balls (would also be great with shaved parm!  Maybe even better...)

Stay tuned for the next fancy camp post with easy lunch items, and the most important- dessert!

No Bake Pizza aka Lazy Night Dinner

So tonight Hubby ditched me to go on a "boys date" to a concert.  I was actually invited, but let's face it, there was no chance of me saying yes.  I mean first, I don't really know who the band is but have vague impressions of a hair band from like the early 90's.  And second, I imagine the venue is some creepy old place with lots of dark and dirty decor which would GLOW if subjected to a scientific black light test.  No thanks.  But I know those boys will have tons of fun!!!  

I seriously considered making myself an awesome pearl couscous salad with zucchini, feta, and heirloom tomatoes.  But decided that simply boiling water was way more effort than I could spare for a night alone in my pajamas.  So this is what took me about 5 minutes, was delicious, and still almost fancy.

Ingredients

• Sliced rustic bread.  (We have awesome Rosemary bread at the local store.  LOVE!)
• Goat cheese
• Roasted red bell peppers
• Fresh basil

Directions

1. Slice a piece of bread
2. Spread your goat cheese on said bread
3. Chop roasted red peppers into cute little squares and toss them on top.
4. Chiffonade the basil (I can't stop using that word, or creating the pretty ribbons!) and top your "pizza"
5. EAT!

Seriously, very pizza-esque without the fuss, without the heat, and without any effort.  It doesn't take any longer than if you made a sad pb&j.  And it's way classier and grown up.  :)

Grammie's Zucchini Squares- "Healthy" comfort food

This is one of those recipes that gets asked for and passed on through family and friends time after time.  I scored this years ago by way of my friend Sheri from her mom, Loydene, aka Grammie. And I had it safely written on two pieces of note paper...  Needless to say those two precious papers have been misplaced over the years, no doubt tucked away in a cook book so I wouldn't loose them!!!

Through the powers of Facebook, I'm now hooked back up with Grammie!  And a random chain of thoughts today led me to a craving for these, a quick post on Grammie's wall, and within a couple hours I was at the store picking up the few items I needed to make these babies.  Than you Grammie, mwah!

Ingredients

• 3 cups thinly sliced zucchini (I used two large zucchinis)
• 1 cup Bisquick
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (I eyeballed this one, cause well...extra cheese never hurts!)
• 2 Tbsp parsley (I used dry)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• Dash of pepper
• 1 clove finely chopped garlic (I use pre-chopped Christopher Ranch in a jar!)
• 1/2 cup veg oil
• 4 eggs (I use eggs from a carton)
• Butter (for your 9x13 baking dish!)

Directions

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prep your 9x13 baking dish with a layer of butter.  Or use spray if you are able to contain that mess.  (I'm not!  And get in trouble when specks of the spray are later found on nearby surfaces!)
3. Combine sliced zucchini and Bisquick in a large mixing bowl
4. Add onion, Parmesan, parsley, salt, oregano, pepper, and garlic
5. Mix well.  It will be a bit clumpy looking. And the slices may stick together.  Don't fret. Just feel sure your spices are mixed up!
6. Add the veg oil and stir 
7. Fold in your eggs
8. Pour batter into your baking dish, put in the oven, and set the timer for 30 minutes
9. Finished product will be a beautiful golden color, with a firm "crust" and moist, but not sticky, in the center.

Technically this is an appetizer, but it's completely appropriate to have for dinner.  It's light but hearty, with protein from the eggs.  Make a nice side salad, top your square with a little dollop of sour cream if you want,  and call this a meal.  Great for a summer night.  And seriously it's so good and versatile that I'll be taking a piece with me to work for breakfast tomorrow!

Pearl Couscous Salad- Summer approved!

Another hot day in EDH and we have been craving easy, light, and as close to "no cook" as possible.  Turning on the stove or the oven = no bueno!  Fresh salads are the perfect solution.  But sometimes a salad doesn't feel like enough.  We want something with a bit more substance and the ability to leave you feeling full.  Adding in a grain or pasta does the trick.  The salad is made with pearl couscous, but could just as easily be made with brown rice, quinoa, or small shell pasta.  Personalize this to your taste.

For those of you who haven't tried pearl couscous, seriously go buy some!  It's not like the traditional couscous, much bigger, and to me it is reminiscent of tapioca balls!  (Not slimy like pudding, promise.) It's a great addition to your grain rotation with a completely different texture and experience.

And as always, I added fresh veggies and fruit I had on hand.  There are so many options that would work well for this. Tomatoes from your garden, some cucumbers, maybe bell peppers. And it can easily change with the seasons.  I'm imagining a version with pumpkin, beets, and brown butter sauce in a few months...

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry pearl couscous
• 1 cup of grapes, sliced in half
• 2 sliced green onions
• 1 avocado in cubes
• 1 cup chopped greens (arugula & spinach mix)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• shaved parmesan to garnish

Directions

1. Cook pearl couscous according to directions.
2. When cooked, spread on a cookie sheet and put in the fridge to cool
3. Chop your veggies and line up in pretty colorful rows.  (ok, you don't have to line them up, but I like to see my veggies in colorful little stripes.  Maybe it's just me!)
4. Add your cooled pearl couscous into a bowl, and mix in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Feel free to add more to suit your taste.
5. Add veggies, fruit, and protein if you choose (Josh added chicken.)
6. Top with some shaved parmesan 

Veggie and Fruit only!  Spinach is a good source of vegetable protein.

Chicken added for more protein.